Monday, October 10, 2016

Crayons Speak Truth to Power

Summary: When Duncan pulls out his crayons at school, he
finds a stack of letters instead.

Each crayon has written him a letter of
complaint. Here are a few of the hilarious examples:

The red crayon is working
too hard, not even getting off for Christmas.

The white crayon is used mainly
on white paper so it feels misused and empty.

The black crayon is only used to
draw the outline of things. It’s not fair! The pink crayon hasn’t been used
once! You can guess why.

After all the letters are read, Duncan turns in a new
piece of art that is very different from his usual productions. The result is
unique and praised by the teacher. Clearly the crayons have been heard and change is the result.

Hanna’s Comments: I see 2 ways this clever book can be connected to scripture.
My first reaction was to focus on the tone of these letters. The Psalms are
full of complaints, called lamentations. Doing a lesson on this kind of prayer
can be very eye-opening for children and adults. Secondly, I thought about the
phrase “speaking truth to power.” Sometimes the right words, to the right
people can bring forth positive change with regards to injustice, neglect, or inefficient systems. That’s what happens in this book and that's what drives positive change, like justice movements. Justice is one of the
priorities of most religions in the world. Keep in mind that there is a lot of
text in this book. I suggest reading a few crayon’s letters per sitting if your
children are easily distracted. There’s a new sequel to this book. It’s about a
new group of crayons that wants Duncan to rescue them. It should offer some
great PBT options too. It’s called The
Day the Crayons Came Home.

Original Publisher & Date: Philomel, 2013

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and
up, Pre and up

Available in Spanish: Yes

Formats other than Book: Tablet

Scripture Connections: I pour out my complaint
before God, I tell my trouble before God (Psalm 142:2) – just google “psalms of
complaint" for more options; What does the Lord require of you but to do justice…
(Micah 6:8)

Idea(s) for Application: Read this fun book to a
group of children, teens, or adults in a lesson on psalms of complaint or
speaking truth to power when doing justice.

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